


burgers and fries

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Developing Friendships, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 16:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5709979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Nova got nervous, he’d hover, and not in a regular sort of way. He’d be standing, feet planted on the ground, and then when someone directed a question at him or put some pressure he’d be up a few inches, barely noticeable unless you were standing right next to him. Most people probably chalked it up to Nova being a showboat, and Miles wasn’t saying that the kid wasn’t, but that people usually don’t showboat for no reason. Nor do they show up while Miles is laying down one last coat of webbing onto a criminal with a greasy bag of fast food in their hands. The way that Nova just did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	burgers and fries

Miles figured it was his fun and friendly superhero persona that threw people off when they realized how perceptive he was (or kept them from ever realizing, and telling really awful half-truths that he didn’t need spider senses to call from a mile away). It could be argued that he wasn’t as perceptive as he gave himself props - he’d been convinced the Peter Parker he’d met (and subsequently been knocked out by) was a clone, and until the point of kidnapping didn’t know his girlfriend was indoctrinated by Hydra. For the first point, he could easily argue that he’d never really expected the Spider-man to knock him out or be so snippy (the same way people hadn’t expected him to die) and that clones, in his life at least, seemed a pretty reasonable explanation for a lot of things nowadays. For the second point? Miles wasn’t sure he had the energy for that one. And Buzzfeed didn’t have a Which One of Your Loved Ones is Most Likely to Be a Hydra Agent? quiz.

Ganke knew, obviously. He’d say Miles is absolute _shit_ at keeping secrets (then again, if Judge found out, that’s sort of on Ganke too) but pretty decent at finding them out. Who had sleuthed and investigated and the whole shebang and found Ganke’s missing Lego piece that one time a couple years back, when Ganke had thought all hope was lost? Considering how many thank-you hugs and (later) batches of cookies that he got, it must have been him (Miles).

He was good at reading things like that when given the opportunity - he wasn’t some super detective who, in the middle of web-spinning battle, could determine the exact destination his combatant had been in previous to their battle based on soil type. But he had a considerable amount of awareness for a teenager running on no breakfast, and as much sleep in his system as cereal. For instance, take Nova and his mannerisms. When Nova got nervous, he’d hover, and not in a regular sort of way. He’d be standing, feet planted on the ground, and then when someone directed a question at him or put some pressure he’d be up a few inches, barely noticeable unless you were standing right next to him. Most people probably chalked it up to Nova being a showboat, and Miles wasn’t saying that the kid _wasn’t_ , but that people usually don’t showboat for no reason. Nor do they show up while Miles is laying down one last coat of webbing onto a criminal with a greasy bag of fast food in their hands. The way that Nova just did.

“Can we talk?”

“Why not right here? Maybe we can take some photos with the pedestrians.” Miles grinned, and Nova tried to reciprocate. He’s not sure how weird his smiles look in the mask, but they’re nothing compared to the awkward, polite smile-thing that Nova was attempting across from him. “Is it serious?”

“I spent ten bucks on this food, serious.”

Miles whistled, and then surveyed the area. He nodded up towards a building and Nova followed his eyes, both of them nodding before shooting up to relocate. Miles settled his legs over the edge of the building while Nova hovered beside him, a few inches in front of and above the building. It was his tell - even if Nova had waved and grinned at the people below as he made his way to their burger-hideout-place (they needed a better HQ name, now that this was their Place to Eat Burgers, or at least Miles _hoped_ people bringing him burgers on the job would be a recurring thing) he was still nervous about something. While they were unpacking the food Nova started talking, something about the travel here and the weather (seriously, the weather, like they were middle-aged and in a barber shop) and then about the wait at the fast food place -

“Wait, you went in your civvies?” That managed to surprise Miles more than the surprise burgers and fries. He figured, of all people, Nova would take the opportunity to score a discount burger in his shiny suit.

“What? Yeah.” Nova made a face then, popping a fry into his mouth.

Miles just hummed. He wondered how often Tony Stark (the man himself) went out in his Iron Man suit to pick up fast food because he was pressed for time. He’d ask, but he also wasn’t quite sure if that fit into their friendly professional banter and tricks the same way using the Iron Man suit as a hover-board did.

“So,” Nova began. Miles reached for the fries and he gave them up easily. “I was just thinking, it couldn’t hurt to hang out with you. Since we’re both superheroes. And we have a lot in common, like-”

“Like being mixed. And Latino.” His brain supplied the addition before he even had the chance to screen it, and Nova’s face quickly stilled (a fry half-way into his mouth, which didn’t give the picture of a hovering kid with a greasy-bottomed brown-paper bag in his hands much seriousness).

“How do you know that?”

“I...” He could hear Ganke’s voice in his head. _Don’t tell him_. It was sort of irrational. “I sort of just have the habit of being invisible in different places at different times. Catch on to little bits of information like that.”

“That seems invasive,” Nova said, but as soon as it left his mouth he sort of mimicked the face Miles was sure he’d made two seconds previous, and finally sat down beside him on the edge.

“Sorry. It’s a bad habit. And it’s none of my business-”

“But I’m sort of glad you know. In a way?” Nova knits his hands together. The fry has finally been eaten. “I’ve been on a team before but this feels different. I knew people better back there even before I’d really joined, so it’d helped, but now-”

“Now you’re reaching out for a friend.”

“Don’t make it sound so sappy,” Nova huffed, and Miles laughed. What he really meant was probably: Don’t make me out to be lonely because it sucks just _being it_ , admitting it even more. And he’s not wrong on either count.

“Listen, if we’re going to be friends, these burger-meeting-things, they need to happen consistently. We can make a burger fund and maybe switch it up, get pizza-”

“Adventurous,” Nova said, and Miles elbowed him.

“I don’t think either of us have the patience or money to be adventurous about post-crime-fighting snacks.”

Nova paused. “This is a snack for you? Dude, no wonder you basically vacuumed up that burger.”

“I skipped breakfast,” Miles said, pouting. And first period, which meant right around now was third period and he really should be running off to school but he was too busy cracking jokes on a rooftop.  Ganke was going to chew his ear off about failing classes and racking up tardies and unexcused absences - he didn't even want to think about the inevitable repeat lecture he'd get from his mom. “Do I get to lick the bottom of the bag?”

“No way. That’s disgusting. Bug off.”

“Poor choice in puns,” Miles said as he maneuvered his arm into capturing the requested bag of fries. “Spiders are arachnids.”

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if there's any bits (or full swathes..) that are out of character i'm still trying my hand at writing everybody without substituting in my own voice too much! that said if it really is so bad i'll probably rewrite it.. in the future...
> 
> also its only after reading this a couple times that i realize this is so similar to the seasalt ice cream thing in kingdom hearts... dont sue me lol


End file.
